1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting assembly for various objects, such as a mounting assembly by which products, such as products for sale, can be mounted for display and easy access, and more particularly, for such an assembly which is adapted for use in conjunction with a slot board, but which will also permit use in conjunction with a pegboard.
2. Background Art
For years, a convenient and inexpensive method of mounting objects for display and/or ready access has been by the use of pegboards. These pegboards are commonly mounted from a vertical wall surface, with the pegboards spaced a short distance outwardly from the wall surface so as to leave a shallow open area between the rear surface of the pegboard and the wall surface. The pegboard has a plurality of through openings, generally in a regularly spaced rectangular pattern. Objects are commonly mounted to the pegboard by means of J-hooks. A typical J-hook has a downwardly extending shank which terminates in a lower hook portion that can be attached to the objects. The upper end of the shank has a right angle securing portion, having a first connecting portion extending laterally from the upper end of the shank, and an upstanding retaining finger extending upwardly from the rear end of the connecting portion. The J-hook is inserted into the pegboard by first positioning the shank portion generally horizontally, and then directing the finger portion into a selected opening in the board. The J-hook is then rotated downwardly as the finger and its related connecting portion are moved further inwardly through the opening in the board until the shank of the J-hook extends downwardly so as to be positioned adjacent the front face of the pegboard, with the retaining finger extending upwardly so as to engage a rear surface of the pegboard above the pegboard opening in which the J-hook is mounted.
One of the problems with a pegboard is that it is sometimes desirable to suspend an object from two spaced locations. For example, it may be desirable to suspend a package from a pegboard by supporting the package at two end locations, and the width of the package does not match the spacing of the pegboard openings.
Accordingly, as an alternative for pegboards, slot boards have been developed. The slot board generally has a plurality of horizontally extending, vertically spaced slots extending the length of the board. Each slot is formed by an upper and lower flange positioned at the front face of the board, with the flanges defining the lateral portion of the slot. In addition, the board is generally recessed at locations rearwardly of the upper and lower flanges. Thus, in cross-section, the slot has the overall configuration of a "T", with the T being positioned on its side, so that the leg of the T extends outwardly to form the horizontally extending portion of the slot, and the two extensions of the T forming the areas behind the upper and lower flanges.
In other configurations, the slots of the slot board may be formed as right angle slots. In this arrangement, there is the laterally extending slot portion which extends rearwardly from the front face of the board, and then an upstanding recessed portion which extends upwardly and behind an upper flange. In this configuration, there is no lower flange as such, but the lower portion of the slot is defined by a single lower planar surface.
When the J-hook is used to mount an object in a slot board, there is not the problem of attempting to match the J-hook with the particular opening (as in the pegboard), since the J-hook can be moved to any selected location along the length of the slot. However, the mounting of the J-hook in the slot is somewhat unstable, in that the J-hook can twist sideways (possibly due to some jostling or movement of the package by a person examining the same) so that the J-hook twists out of the slot.
However, if the J-hook is modified so as to give it stability in being mounted to a slot board, then there are problems in mounting this same J-hook to a pegboard. This can create confusion and inconvenience in having different types of hanging devices, depending upon the board which is used.
Another difficulty is that, depending upon the nature of the object being mounted to the board, the J-hook is not always vertically aligned relative to the surface of the board. For example, let it be assumed that an object having a generally box-like configuration is mounted to the board by attaching two J-hooks to opposite ends of the packag at upper rear corners thereof. The weight of the box will tend to rotate the box outwardly from the board with the lower rear edge of the box as the pivot location. Thus, the upper rear edge portion of the box tends to pull away from the board, thus pulling the shank of the J-hook outwardly at a douwnward and outward slant from the pegboard or slot board. This outwardly slanted position of the J-hook becomes particularly problematical with the hook being mounted to a slot board, since this aggravates the problem of moderate sideways twisting of the J-hook causing it to come loose from the board.
The prior art has, of course, a great number of mounting devices which can be used for various applications, and a search of the patent literature has revealed some of these. These are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,841,353--Burdick shows what is called a hook fastener, where there is a hanger member 16 which is mounted in a slot of a board, and a hook element which is mounted to the hanger 16 and the board. The hanger member has upper and lower portions which engage the front face of the board both above and below the slot, and there is a pair of finger portions which extend downwardly into the slot to engage the rear surface of the board immediately below the slot. The hook member has a horizontal arm 62 which extends outwardly from the board to provide support, and the hook member further has a rear right angle finger portion which reaches laterally into the slot and then upwardly behind the rear surface of the board above the slot. Further, the hanger member defines a right angle recess to receive a vertical arm portion that interconnects the right angle finger portion with the rear end of the elongate support member, and also to engage the rear part of the horizontal support member.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,913,210--Tichnor shows a display support member where right angle connecting elements fit into a pegboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,961,724--Alling shows a device for attaching objects to a board, where there is a member having a general configuration of a J-hook, and there is another member having a body portion wrapped partly around the vertical shank of the J-hook, this member having a lower extension to engage an opening below an opening into which the right angle finger portion of the J-hook is inserted.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,014,597--McWherter shows what is called a "hanger board" where there is a combination of pegs and slots. A support member has a pair of right angle finger members, one of which fits in a peg, and the other of which fits into a slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,550--Marcus illustrates a rack to be mounted to a pegboard. This rack has upper right angle finger elements to engage the board.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,949--Meyer, Jr. et al shows a device to mount shelves or the like to a pegboard. The mounting device has a general configuration of a J-hook, but with the lower end of the hook having an elongate support member. Mounted to the hook is a second member which is adapted to engage one or more holes in the board, other than the hole into which the right angle finger portion of the J-hook is mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,260--Bleed shows a connector where there are two right angle finger members engaging two spaced openings in a pegboard. This member is pivotally attached to another member that has a horizontally extending mounting arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,677--Hindley shows a device somewhat similar to the above-mentioned Alling patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,961,724, in that there is a support member having shank, a lower end hook and a right angle finger portion. There is a catch member made of resilient steel which has a plate-like portion that bears against the front of the pegboard, and a pair of arms which resiliently grip the shank.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,294--Kalbow et al discloses a device to provide a horizontal mounting surface. There is a main mounting member having a generally right angle configuration, and this is attached to the board by a member having two right angle finger portions to fit a pair of holes in the board, with a horizontal retaining member joining the two hook members.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,727--Greenlee shows a device to mount a box, and the device has a generally wire frame configuration. There are two right angle finger members adapted to engage a pegboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,034--Marschak shows a device to hang a shelf from a pegboard where two side retaining elements are each inserted into upper and lower holes in the pegboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,131--Larson shows a shelf-like support structure where there are a plurality of right angle tabs or fingers which fit into holes in a pegboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,531--Caldwell shows a shelf mounting system where there are right angle finger members that fit into a vertical support board.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 23,286--Oliver shows a securing device to mount an object, such as a plate, to a lower plate. There is a mounting finger having a triangularly shaped spring-like member which fits through an opening in the base plate.
In the search that disclosed the patents noted above, a number of other patents were cited. It is believed that these are no more relevant that the patents noted above, or possibly less relevant to the concept of the present invention, so these are simply being listed below. These are:
U.S. Pat. No. 674,489--Wall PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,939,867--Thompson PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,430,302--Ringler PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,749,153--Baker PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,901,144--Haustrup PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,297--Paulin PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,009--Meyer at al PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,559--Meyers PA1 1. an elongate shank having a lengthwise axis and adapted to be extending downwardly from the slot location of the board when the hanging member is in its operating position relative to the board, said shank having an upper end and also a lower end which is arranged to attach to an object to be supported; PA1 2. an interconnecting portion having a first end connecting to the upper end of the shank and extending laterally therefrom to a second end of the interconnecting portion, said interconnecting portion having a major alignment component perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the shank; PA1 3. a retaining finger having a lower end connecting to the second end of the interconnecting portion and extending upwardly therefrom, said finger having a lengthwise axis having a major alignment component perpendicular to said interconnecting portion. PA1 1. front plate means adapted to be positioned forwardly of the front face of the board at the slot location, and comprising an upper plate means portion to engage the front face of the board above said slot, and a lower plate means portion adapted to engage the front face of the board below said slot; PA1 2. a mounting member fixedly connected to the plate means and extending rearwardly therefrom, said mounting member having a lower surface adapted to bear against said third lower surface of the slot board, said mounting member having an upper portion positioned adjacent to said first upper surface of the board.